


Feelings

by icecreamprincss



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, prompt: secrets & lies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-10-14
Updated: 2008-10-14
Packaged: 2019-07-02 12:31:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15796581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icecreamprincss/pseuds/icecreamprincss
Summary: Leah has her secrets.An unlikely romance blooms.





	Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to LJ's twilight100

Leah has her secrets and she fights tooth and nail to keep them to herself while trapped in the pack mind. The way it had felt when Sam used his hands just _right_ , the dreams about Jacob...memories became lies when imprinting snatched one and then both away. She keeps _this_ feeling hidden _very_ deep. She has to.

Human, Leah runs the line through her head again, like a worn out note folded too many times. She remembers the echo through Seth's thoughts.

_Nice move, Leah! Mmm, she's quite fast._

It's respect, earned from an ally, returned for her enemy.

\-------

 _What's wrong with the Clearwaters? Do we have some genetic predisposition to leech-loving?_ Leah sits, grumbling to herself in the spacious living room she's unwillingly grown accustomed to.

Edward is there – he's always there – with a soft smile at her internal conflict. It's not boasting or teasing; it's the most perfect smile she's ever seen. It's different from the smiles he gives Jake or Seth or even Bella – and she notices.

He offers her dinner – damn, that bloodsucker can cook – and Leah smiles. It's a secret smile, different from ones for Mom or Seth or Jake – and he notices.

\-------

If Marcus could watch them, he would see the thin thread between Leah and Edward growing, slowly building from respect, braiding into secret friendship, maybe more. 

He dances with her at Sue and Charlie's wedding, compliments for her dress, her beauty slipping effortlessly off his tongue. She blushes – since when does Leah blush?! – mumbles, “Thank you, Edward.”

It's the first time she's called him Edward, not bloodsucker, not leech, and they smile, again. He holds her, his gaze curious, doesn't seem to notice when the song ends.

But Leah does. Abruptly, she pushes Edward away and hurries off the floor.

\-------

Edward catches it in Seth's thoughts after the wedding: their secret's out, Leah's half at least. Edward has always been good at keeping secrets. He had thought that once Bella was his, entirely his, there would be no more need to lie, but things don't turn out that way.

He knows why he's drawn to Leah. When he fell in love with Bella, he fell in love with something fragile and warm, he fell in love as the protector. It changed him. Bella was petals and sighs; Leah's iron and cursing, yet still fragile. Edward can, _needs_ to help her.

\-------

In the end, it's not as dire as she suspected, having the pack know. Leah and Edward are friends. Jacob even thanks her for making the effort, as if she's done it to make everything easier. She's convinced it will make things harder. 

But she is continually, begrudgingly, impressed by him. It's like reverse imprinting, he seems to be only what she needs. Having him in her mind is nothing like the pack. He never judges, only smiles. They go for walks together; he wraps one cold arm around her and it's very nearly as platonic as it should be.

\-------

At first look, Leah doesn't need him. Leah's strong, fierce, a fighter. But Edward has been sneaking so much more than a first look. Leah is broken.

She sits in a ball on his couch, not listening to the banter around her but arguing with herself instead.

_You shouldn't be here. I hate that you don't hate them. I hate you, Leah._

Edward's hands falter on the piano keys; all eyes in the room shift to him. His gaze meets Leah's; he winces when she runs.

"I apologize," he says calmly, and then he's out the door, flying after her.

\-------

They've never tested this before: the fastest wolf against the fastest vampire. Edward is unsurprised that they are evenly matched.

Eventually, the bitterness she's streaming at herself stems and Leah's fallen into step beside him. They make a large loop around Seattle and it's so nice, comfortable; she has to admit it because he's already heard the thought. Running, being alone, being with him. She wants to deny it.

“Don't.” He whispers. “Please don't. It is nice.”

_It's nice, here, for now. But I don't belong in your home, no matter who my alpha imprinted on! No, especially given that!_

\-------

“Don't think that.” He slows. “I love you in my home.”

Leah stops, whirls to face him, runs the line through her head. _I love you in my home._ Was there a pause there? Did he just...

She growls, hackles raised. _Don't fuck with me._

“No, I don't suppose that's the best idea right now.” He grins. The tension hangs for a second longer, then dissolves. Leah barks a laugh, but drops to the ground and covers her head with her paws.

_I don't know what to do. It's secrets and lies, Edward._

“Secrets...if you want. But never lies.”

\-------

It's getting late when Jacob and Bella finally leave the Cullen's house with a sleeping Nessie.

“It's a funny thing, those two.” Bella bursts out after a minute of silence. “I won't deny that it's nice to see Leah friendly....but sometimes...” She breaks off, biting her lip.

“What?”

“Do you think there's...more to them? Has Leah...”

“Hasn't thought anything that I've noticed. It's pretty crazy.”

“Crazy like the human who was in love with a vampire or a werewolf? A vampire and a werewolf...”

Jacob shrugs, a contemplative look on his face. “It's a crazy-ass world, Bells.”

\-------

Leah rounds the tree, smiles somewhat defiantly at Edward, and glances down at the black track suit he bought her in Seattle. “Um, thanks, it fits.”

“I know.” His eyes linger only slightly too long on her hips, her muscular legs under the tight material before returning gentlemanly to her face. “You're beautiful.”

 _Yeah, like I haven't heard that before._ Leah grits her teeth against her knee-jerk bitterness. Deep breaths stop the shivering in her arms. “Thank you.” _I want to believe you, that there's no lies..._

He waits until she's calmed, then reaches out to take her hand.

\-------

Edward debates how to show Leah what she means to him, what this is. He doesn't get further than shifting her into his arms before she's kissing him. It's slow and sweet and – dammit – makes her cry a little. Vulnerability's still foreign to Leah. Edward's on fire, exquisite heat spreading through him without any trace of bloodlust.

 _He hasn't actually said yet._ Leah breaks the kiss, “Just a stray thought.”

“Would you like me to?” He's intense, serious and Leah's thoughts sing _yes_ before she has a handle on them.

“It's hardly a secret now.” He grins. “I love you.”

\-------

 _I love you, impossibly, but..._ “We can't keep this secret forever.”

“You won't need me forever.”

“Need you? If you think that's all it is, you're not a very good mind-reader.”

Edward smiles, but his eyes are sad. “Leah.” He kisses her. “You're going to heal and grow and you're going to find someone right for you. And then, I hope, you'll be happy.”

“You're not right for me?” She glares at him. _Nice time to bring that up. Why? Because you're a vampire? Married?_

“Because I'm frozen.”

She presses two fiery hot hands to his chest. “So thaw.”


End file.
